The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for collecting what is known as “touch evidence” related to any type of situation in which evidence collection is required. Such evidence collection can be associated with crime scenes or can simply be the collection of a DNA sample from a human being in the course of a traffic stop or a paternity investigation. Touch evidence, in general, is that evidence which is located on a surface or on a human being and which can be physically contacted by an evidence collection device to thereby obtain a sample of the evidence. Examples of such touch evidence might be any type of biological fluid, either wet or dried, such as blood, urine or saliva, or any unknown substance which is visible or invisible and which can be located allowing for collection of a specimen of the evidence and capture of such a sample on a touch evidence collector of the type described hereinafter. As previously mentioned, it will be appreciated that such touch evidence collection devices are widely used in criminal investigations, but also are used increasingly in traffic stop situations or traffic arrest situations in which it is desirable to obtain a DNA sample from the suspect as part of a criminal records database requirement.